Integrated circuit comprising a junction field effect transistor

ABSTRACT

An integrated circuit includes a junction field-effect transistor formed in a semiconductor substrate. The junction field-effect transistor includes a drain region, a source region, a channel region, and a gate region. A first isolating region separates the drain region from both the gate region and the channel region. A first connection region connects the drain region to the channel region by passing underneath the first isolating region in the semiconductor substrate. A second isolating region separates the source region from both the gate region and the channel region. A second connection region connects the source region to the channel region by passing underneath the second isolating region in the semiconductor substrate.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claims the priority benefit of French Application forPatent No. 1912782, filed on Nov. 15, 2019, the content of which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety to the maximum extentallowable by law.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Modes of implementation and embodiments relate to integrated circuitsand, in particular, integrated circuits comprising junction field-effecttransistors (JFETs), and to the manufacture of such integrated circuits.

BACKGROUND

JFET transistors generally have low electrical noise at output, andgenerally have a good resistance to high voltages. JFET transistors arefound, for example, in high-accuracy and high-input-impedanceoperational amplifier input stages.

It is known to form a JFET transistor in a semiconductor substrate. TheJFET transistor comprises a source region and a drain region that arespaced from one another. The JFET transistor also comprises a channelregion extending from the drain region to the source region. The JFETtransistor further comprises a gate region extending over the channelregion from the drain region to the source region.

The source and drain regions are diffused deeply in the semiconductorsubstrate through implantation, that is to say more deeply than thechannel region of the transistor.

These source and drain regions are diffused deeply in order to support ahigh voltage, in particular of the order of 40 volts. However, thesedeeply diffused regions have the drawback of creating stray capacitancesbetween the drain region and the gate region, and between the sourceregion and the gate region.

These stray capacitances reduce the high-frequency performance of JFETtransistors and therefore limit the use of JFET transistors to certainapplications.

There is therefore a need to be able to provide a JFET transistor havingstray capacitances in such a way as to have good high-frequencyperformance.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect, an integrated circuit comprises: asemiconductor substrate and a junction field-effect transistor formed inthe substrate. The junction field-effect transistor comprises: a drainregion and a source region that are spaced from one another, a channelregion between the drain region and the source region, a gate regionbetween the drain region and the source region, and wherein thesubstrate comprises: a first isolating region separating the drainregion from the gate region and from the channel region, and a secondisolating region separating the source region from the gate region andfrom the channel region, a first connection region connecting the drainregion to the channel region while bypassing the first isolating region,and a second connection region connecting the source region to thechannel region while bypassing the second isolating region.

The channel region and the gate region therefore extend from a firstlateral face of the first isolating region to a first lateral face ofthe second isolating region.

The channel region and the gate region thus have a first end against thefirst lateral face of the first isolating region and a second endagainst the first lateral face of the second isolating region.

The drain region is arranged in contact with a second lateral face ofthe first isolating region opposite the first lateral face of the firstisolating region.

The source region is arranged in contact with a second lateral face ofthe second isolating region opposite the first lateral face of thesecond isolating region.

The connection regions make it possible to connect the source region tothe first end of the channel region and to connect the drain region tothe second end of the channel region.

In particular, isolating the drain and source regions from the gateregion and from the channel region makes it possible to reduce the straycapacitances between the drain and source regions and the gate region.This reduction in the stray capacitances makes it possible to supporthigh voltages.

In particular, according to one embodiment, the drain region and thesource region are surface-diffused to a depth that makes it possible toreduce stray capacitances.

Thus, according to one embodiment, the source region and the drainregion extend downwards from the front face of the substrate to a lowerface of the channel region.

Such a JFET transistor therefore comprises a channel region and a drainregion that are diffused at the surface of the semiconductor substrateand isolated from the gate region and from the channel region. Thisstructure makes it possible to support high voltages with low straycapacitances.

In particular, isolating the drain and source regions from the gateregion and from the channel region also makes it possible not to have todeeply diffuse the drain and source regions. Furthermore, onlysurface-diffusing the drain region and the source region also makes itpossible to reduce stray capacitances. This reduction in the straycapacitances also makes it possible to support high voltages.

Furthermore, each connection region thus extends underneath and counterto the isolating region that it bypasses.

According to one embodiment, the first isolating region and the secondisolating region extend into the substrate from the front face of thesubstrate. In particular, each connection region has: a first partextending vertically into the substrate, in contact with a first lateralface of the corresponding isolating region, from the lower face of thechannel region, a second horizontal part extending horizontally into thesubstrate, in contact with a lower face of the corresponding isolatingregion, and a third part extending vertically into the substrate, incontact with a second lateral face of the corresponding isolatingregion, until contacting the corresponding source or drain region.

According to one embodiment, the drain region, the source region, thechannel region, the first connection region and the second connectionregion have a first conductivity type. Furthermore, the gate region hasa second conductivity type.

The JFET transistor may thus, for example, have a P-type channel. Thedrain region, the source region, the channel region, the firstconnection region and the second connection region then have P-typeconductivity. The gate region then has N-type conductivity.

As a variant, the JFET transistor may have an N-type channel. The drainregion, the source region, the channel region, the first connectionregion and the second connection region then have N-type conductivity.The gate region then has P-type conductivity.

The integrated circuit may comprise a plurality of JFET transistors suchas those described above.

According to one embodiment, the integrated circuit further comprises atleast one bipolar transistor having drift regions of the sameconductivity type as that of the connection regions of the JFETtransistor.

The integrated circuit may comprise a plurality of JFET transistorscomprising connection regions and a plurality of bipolar transistorscomprising drift regions.

According to another aspect, a method for manufacturing an integratedcircuit comprises forming, in a substrate, a junction field-effecttransistor comprising: forming a drain region and a source region thatare spaced from one another, forming a channel region between the drainregion and the source region, forming a gate region on the channelregion between the drain region and the source region, wherein themethod further comprises: forming a first isolating region separatingthe drain region from the gate region and from the channel region, and asecond isolating region separating the source region from the gateregion and from the channel region, forming a first connection regionconnecting the drain region to the channel region while bypassing thefirst isolating region, and a second connection region connecting thesource region to the channel region while bypassing the second isolatingregion.

According to one mode of implementation, forming the first connectionregion and the second connection region comprises dopant implantation.

According to one mode of implementation, the manufacturing methodfurther comprises forming, in the substrate, at least one bipolartransistor having a base, an emitter and a collector and drift regionshaving the same conductivity type as that of the connection regions.Forming the first connection region and the second connection region andforming the drift regions is furthermore carried out using the samemask.

According to one mode of implementation, forming the first connectionregion and forming the second connection region is carried out at thesame time as forming the drift region.

Forming the first connection region and forming the second connectionregion therefore does not require a dedicated additional step. Formingthe first connection region and the second connection region is thusinexpensive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other advantages and features of the invention will become apparent onexamining the detailed description of completely non-limiting modes ofimplementation and embodiments and the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows an integrated circuit which comprises a junctionfield-effect transistor (JFET);

FIG. 2 shows a method for manufacturing an integrated circuit such asthe one shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows an integrated circuit comprising a JFET transistor and abipolar transistor; and

FIG. 4 shows a method for manufacturing an integrated circuit such asthe one shown in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an integrated circuit 10 a according to one embodiment,wherein the integrated circuit 10 a comprises a junction field-effecttransistor, called JFET transistor 11, formed in a semiconductorsubstrate 12. The semiconductor substrate 12 has a front face 13.

The JFET transistor 11 comprises a drain region 14 and a source region15 that are spaced from one another. The drain region 14 and the sourceregion 15 have a conductivity of a first type (N or P). In particular,the drain region 14 and the source region 15 each extend downwards fromthe front face 13 of the semiconductor substrate 12 over a distance ofthe order of 0.2 μm to 0.3 μm.

The JFET transistor 11 further comprises a gate region 16 between thedrain region 14 and the source region 15. The gate region 16 has aconductivity of a second type (P or N) different from the firstconductivity type. The gate region 16 extends downwards from the frontface 13 of the semiconductor substrate 12 over a distance of the orderof 0.2 μm.

The JFET transistor 11 also comprises a channel region 17 between thedrain region 14 and the source region 15. The channel region 17 has aconductivity of said first type. The channel region 17 extends downwardsfrom the gate region 16 over a distance of the order of 0.4 μm.

The JFET transistor 11 further comprises, within the substrate 12, afirst isolating region 18 separating the drain region 14 from both thegate region 16 and the channel region 17. The first isolating region 18extends to a depth that is below a bottom of the drain region 14 andchannel region 17.

The JFET transistor 11 also comprises, within the substrate 12, a secondisolating region 19 separating the source region 15 from both the gateregion 16 and the channel region 17. The second isolating region 19extends to a depth that is below a bottom of the source region 15 andchannel region 17.

In particular, the first isolating region 18 and the second isolatingregion 19 each extend downwards from the front face 13 of thesemiconductor substrate 12 over a distance of the order of 1 μm, andthus each region 18, 19 has a depth in the substrate below bottoms ofthe regions 14, 15 and 17.

The first isolating region 18 and the second isolating region 19 may,for example, comprise silicon dioxide.

More particularly, the channel region 17 and the gate region 16 extendfrom a first lateral face 18 a of the first isolating region 18 to afirst lateral face 19 a of the second isolating region 19.

The channel region 17 and the gate region 16 thus each have a firstlongitudinal end against (e.g., in contact with) the first lateral face18 a of the first isolating region 18 and a second longitudinal endagainst (e.g., in contact with) the first lateral face 19 a of thesecond isolating region 19.

Furthermore, the drain region 14 is arranged against (e.g. in contactwith) a second lateral face (side) 18 b of the first isolating region 18opposite the first lateral face 18 a of the first isolating region 18.

The source region 15 is arranged against (e.g., in contact with) asecond lateral face (side) 19 b of the second isolating region 19opposite the first lateral face 19 a of the second isolating region 19.

The JFET transistor 11 also comprises, within the substrate 12, a firstconnection region 20 connecting the drain region 14 to the channelregion 17 while bypassing (e.g., passing along the lateral faces andunderneath) the first isolating region 18.

In particular, the first connection region 20 comprises a first part 20a extending vertically into the substrate 12, in contact with said firstlateral face 18 a of the first isolating region 18, from the channelregion 17.

The first connection region 20 comprises a second horizontal part 20 bextending horizontally into the substrate 12, in contact with a lowerface 18 c of the first isolating region 18.

The first connection region 20 also comprises a third part 20 cextending vertically into the substrate 12, in contact with the secondlateral face 18 b of the first isolating region 18, until contacting thedrain region 14.

The JFET transistor 11 also comprises, within the substrate 12, a secondconnection region 21 connecting the source region 15 to the channelregion 17 while bypassing (e.g., passing along the lateral faces andunderneath) the second isolating region 19.

In particular, the second connection region 21 comprises a first part 21a extending vertically into the substrate 12, in contact with said firstlateral face 19 a of the second isolating region 19, from the channelregion 17.

The second connection region 21 comprises a second horizontal part 21 bextending horizontally into the substrate 12, in contact with a lowerface of the second isolating region 19.

The second connection region 21 also comprises a third part 21 cextending vertically into the substrate 12, in contact with the secondlateral face 19 b of the second isolating region 19, until contactingthe source region 15.

The first connection region 20 makes it possible to connect the drainregion 14 to the channel region 17. The second connection region 21makes it possible to connect the source region 15 to the channel region17.

The JFET transistor 11 is formed here in an N⁻-doped well 22, on top ofan N⁺-doped buried layer 23 that is itself situated above a P⁻-dopedcarrier substrate 24.

The JFET transistor 11 in this case has a P-type channel. The drainregion 14, the source region 15, the channel region 17, the firstconnection region 20, the second connection region 21 and the carriersubstrate 24 of the semiconductor substrate 12 then have P-typeconductivity. Furthermore, the gate region 16, the well 22 and theburied layer 23 have N-type conductivity.

In particular, the drain region 14 and the source region 15 have adopant concentration of the order of 5×10¹⁹ atoms/cm³ to 2×10²⁰atoms/cm³.

The channel region 17 has a dopant concentration of the order of 10¹⁶atoms/cm³.

The gate region 16 has a dopant concentration of the order of 10¹⁷atoms/cm³.

The first connection region 20 and the second connection region 21 havea dopant concentration of the order of 10¹⁷ atoms/cm³.

The well 22 has a dopant concentration of the order of 10¹⁵ atoms/cm³.

The buried layer 23 has a dopant concentration of the order of 10¹⁹atoms/cm³ to 2×10¹⁹ atoms/cm³.

The carrier substrate 24 has a dopant concentration of the order of 10¹⁹atoms/cm³ to 2×10¹⁹ atoms/cm³.

As a variant, the JFET transistor 11 may have an N-type channel. Thedrain region 14, the source region 15, the channel region 17, the firstconnection region 20, the second connection region 21 and the carriersubstrate then have N-type conductivity. Furthermore, the gate region16, the well 22 and the buried layer have P-type conductivity.

Isolating the drain and source regions from the gate region 16 and fromthe channel region 17 using regions 18 and 19 makes it possible toreduce the stray capacitances between the drain and source regions andthe gate region 16. Only surface-diffusing the drain region 14 and thesource region 15 also makes it possible to reduce stray capacitances.This reduction in the stray capacitances makes it possible to supporthigh voltages. For example, such a JFET transistor 11 makes it possibleto achieve breakdown voltages of the order of 80 volts.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a method for manufacturing an integratedcircuit such as the one shown in FIG. 1. In a step 38, the buried layer23 is produced through dopant implantation into the carrier substrate24, and then the well 22 is produced through epitaxy.

In step 39, the connection regions 20 and 21 are formed by masking anddopant implantation into the well 22.

The isolating regions 18 and 19 are then formed in step 40, beforeproducing the channel region 17 and producing the drain and sourceregions 18 and 19 through dopant implantation in step 41.

FIG. 3 shows an integrated circuit 10 b according to one embodiment ofthe invention comprising a JFET transistor 11 as described above and abipolar transistor 25.

The JFET transistor 11 and the bipolar transistor 25 are formed usingthe same carrier substrate 26.

The JFET transistor 11 is separated from the bipolar transistor 25 by ashallow trench isolation (STI) 27.

The bipolar transistor 25 is in this case an NPN transistor. As isconventional, it has an intrinsic collector region formed in the well35, an intrinsic base region 28, an extrinsic base region 30 and anemitter region 29. The bipolar transistor 25 also has drift regions 33and 34 situated underneath isolation regions 31 and 32, respectively,and contacting the intrinsic base region and the extrinsic base region.

The drift regions 33 and 34 are of the same conductivity type as that ofthe connection regions 20, 21 of the JFET transistor 11.

As a variant or in combination, the integrated circuit 10 b may comprisea JFET transistor 11 with an N-type channel and a PNP bipolar transistor25.

The method for manufacturing an integrated circuit such as the one shownin FIG. 3 comprises forming a JFET transistor 11 as described above.

The manufacturing method further comprises conventionally forming thebipolar transistor 25.

Moreover, as illustrated in FIG. 4, forming the first connection region20 and the second connection region 21 and forming the drift regions 33,34 is carried out in step 39 using the same mask MSK. Furthermore, inthis step 39, forming the first connection region 20 and forming thesecond connection region 21 is advantageously carried out at the sametime as forming the drift regions.

Forming the first connection region 20 and forming the second connectionregion 21 therefore does not require a dedicated additional step.Forming the first connection region 20 and the second connection region21 is therefore inexpensive.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An integrated circuit, comprising: asemiconductor substrate; and a junction field-effect transistor formedin the semiconductor substrate; wherein the junction field-effecttransistor comprises: a drain region and a source region that are spacedfrom one another in the semiconductor substrate; a channel region in thesemiconductor substrate between the drain region and the source region;a gate region in the semiconductor substrate over the channel region andbetween the drain region and the source region; a first isolating regionin the semiconductor substrate having a depth that is deeper than abottom of the drain region and deeper than a bottom of the channelregion, said first isolating region separating the drain region fromboth the gate region and the channel region; a second isolating regionin the semiconductor substrate having a depth that is deeper than abottom of the source region and deeper than the bottom of the channelregion, said second isolating region separating the source region fromboth the gate region and the channel region; a first connection regionin the semiconductor substrate connecting the drain region to thechannel region, said first connection region extending along lateralfaces and a bottom of the first isolating region; and a secondconnection region in the semiconductor substrate connecting the sourceregion to the channel region, said second connection region extendingalong lateral faces and a bottom of the second isolating region.
 2. Theintegrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductorsubstrate has a front face, the source region and the drain regionextending downwards from the front face of the semiconductor substrateto depth that is lower than the bottom of the channel region.
 3. Theintegrated circuit according to claim 2, wherein each of the first andsecond connection regions comprises: a first part in contact with afirst lateral face of a corresponding one of the first and secondisolating regions and extending vertically into the semiconductorsubstrate from a lower face of the channel region; a second part incontact with a lower face of the corresponding isolating region andextending horizontally within the semiconductor substrate; and a thirdpart in contact with a second lateral face of the correspondingisolating region and extending vertically into the semiconductorsubstrate from a lower face of a corresponding one of the source anddrain regions.
 4. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, whereinthe drain region, the source region, the channel region, the firstconnection region and the second connection region have a firstconductivity type, and the gate region has a second conductivity type.5. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, further comprising atleast one bipolar transistor including drift regions having aconductivity type that is same as a conductivity type of the first andsecond connection regions.
 6. The integrated circuit according to claim5, wherein the bipolar transistor includes a base region extendingbetween third and fourth isolating regions in the semiconductorsubstrate that have a depth that is deeper than a bottom of the baseregion, and wherein said drift regions extend along lateral faces and abottom of the third and fourth isolating regions.
 7. The integratedcircuit according to claim 6, wherein each drift region comprises: afirst part in contact with a first lateral face of a corresponding oneof the third and fourth isolating regions and extending vertically intothe semiconductor substrate from a lower face of the base region; and asecond part in contact with a lower face of the corresponding third andfourth isolating regions and extending horizontally within thesemiconductor substrate.
 8. The integrated circuit according to claim 1,wherein the first connection region passes under the first isolatingregion in the semiconductor substrate to connect the drain region to thechannel region, and wherein the second connection region passes underthe second isolating region in the semiconductor substrate to connectthe source region to the channel region.